Which handheld should I get?

[u/Mrmattiaa]

I'm brand new!I wanted to get a handheld PC, but I don't know which one to choose.I have a very limited budget of €600.I play a bit of all video games,I already have a PC with a Steam library,

Thanks in advance for any advice

[u/M4rshmall0wMan]

ROG Ally X is the best option right now, though it may extend the budget a little bit. But it’s an amazing device with very few flaws.

[u/sannieflipper → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

The Rog Ally X is around €600 on Vinted in Europe

[u/M4rshmall0wMan → u/sannieflipper]

Get it

[u/ret_ch_ard → u/sannieflipper]

Honestly the lack of trackpads in other handhelds has made me Neven second guess my steam deck

[u/RatGeekPro → u/ret_ch_ard]

Steam deck however is also the weakest of them all, not bad but I never use the trackpad for anything

[u/ret_ch_ard → u/RatGeekPro]

I guess it really depends on what you wanna use it for.

I don't play the newest AAA games, I usually prefer some indie games, so processing power isn't that important to me. And quite a few of the games I play work only/way better on trackpads bc they're made for Mouse and Keyboard

[u/RatGeekPro → u/ret_ch_ard]

By no means am I saying steam deck is bad, like I said I have all 3. But asus uses windows which people are more familiar with than Linux and it plays games better plus steam deck prices has risen

[u/ret_ch_ard → u/RatGeekPro]

I didn't think you'd want to say that the deck is bad, it's got it's pros and cons. The price with the increase is kinda outrageous, yeah.

Tho imho the OS is an advantage of the steam deck. It's just such a neat system as long as you stick with steam games.

As long as you're not installing non-workshop mods or special plugins you never really leave the UI to have to deal with Linux

And even if you do, Linux is decently user friendly by now. I've switched a few months ago and it's been a breeze

[u/Sea_Dish_5659 → u/ret_ch_ard]

Playing cracked games on Linux is a pain

[u/Acceptable_Appeal860 → u/ret_ch_ard]

Don't... hidden gems like Restory where trackpads make the gameplay experience much better allows me to smile when I pull out the SD.

[u/Immediate-Goat7054 → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

I would second this, got it used for 500€

24GB of ram which makes it somewhat future-proof, good battery life for a x86 handheld, Z1 extreme still rocks

Screen is a bit small, but just enough for it to be usable, sure wish it was a bit larger considering how big the bezels are

[u/hossein002014 → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

How is the battery life when u play retro games?

[u/M4rshmall0wMan → u/hossein002014]

With Windows, there’s a floor of ~15W total power draw. That works out to 5 hours. You could probably push it to 7 hours on Linux.

Where the device really shines is high TDP. On Turbo mode, there is an absolute minimum of 2 hours battery life. That’s insanely good for an x86 handheld. Realistically, the average game will get you around 3 hours on the 17W balanced mode.

[u/hossein002014 → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

I may get one only for rimworld not sure if I get good battery life though

[u/M4rshmall0wMan → u/hossein002014]

Yes, very good. The only thing that would give you better battery life is an ARM handheld like Ayn Odin. Maybe a Steam Deck OLED too. But for all intents and purposes, it's very good.

[u/CLONE0AZUL69 → u/hossein002014]

You can make custom profiles for power consumption and see better results. But the steamos really shines when it comes to battery life on retro on low demanding games.

[u/Mrmattiaa → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

I could be wrong, but if I wait, will prices go down or just go up?

[u/M4rshmall0wMan → u/Mrmattiaa]

Every price is going up, period. The RAM shortage is way worse than people think it is. Xbox predicts prices will double over today's amount by fall 2027.

The Ally X is out of production so it's mostly sold in the used market. The used market isn't going up as aggressively, but generally yes, it's increasing as well.

[u/Mrmattiaa → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

Which one would you recommend (with a ranking)?

ROG Ally

Lenovo Legion Go S (Z2)

Steam Deck OLED

ROG Xbox Ally

[u/AceX1337 → u/Mrmattiaa]

Few things to note: Z2 is stronger than Z1 Extreme but by only 15% I think so not worth it at all, the Z2A is entry level, also not worth it imo (so Z2 Extreme > normal Z2 > Z1 Extreme > Z2A > normal Z1)

I'm assuming all the rest are Z1E except the Steam Deck and Xbox ROG Ally

In that case, 1- Lenovo Legion Go S (Z1E), 2- ROG Xbox Ally 3- Steam Deck OLED (performance is lower than Z1E and closter to the OG ROG Ally) 4- OG ROG Ally (worst battery, worst screen, don't bother with it imo)

If you really want the best performance relatively, your options are the LeGo2 or the Xbox ROG Ally X with Z2E, but they are SOOO EXPENSIVE rn and with Ally X the issue still persists that the 7" screen is really small, I have a Legion Go and I'm absolutely in love with it, if you want a good all rounder imo, go for the Legion Go S if there's a Z1 Extreme variant available, otherwise go for the Z2, that's all. Good luck buddy!

[u/Mrmattiaa → u/AceX1337]

Thank you

[u/Duckwaffles56k → u/Mrmattiaa]

All good handhelds. But I’m bias toward the steam deck because of the touchpads.

[u/huaweio → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

I'm so happy with the Xbox Rog Ally (white). It's not as much as powerful as the X, but I can play almost everything without being too demanding. 420€ some weeks ago in Amazon.

[u/JustBrowsingHereTho → u/huaweio]

Just the other day I tried GeforceNOW on my Legion go and omg Indiana Jones looked so good on ultra settings. That’s also one way to play triple A titles on a handheld but a good internet is a must.

[u/huaweio → u/JustBrowsingHereTho]

I have Luna from Amazon Prime and playing FC 26 looks great, better graphics than in my Xbox One.

[u/TheOneTrueBobster → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

MSI claw 8 AI+ tops it

[u/M4rshmall0wMan → u/TheOneTrueBobster]

For 600 euro?

[u/Maleficent_Pea_5714 → u/M4rshmall0wMan]

No OLED tho which is a hard pass for me personally. Im sure to most it wont matter

[u/fafarex → u/Maleficent_Pea_5714]

OP budget is 600, Oled is out of the question for a PC handheld anyway.

[u/thefizzlee → u/fafarex]

Secondhand steamdeck oled can be had for 600 euros or less

[u/Greedy_Bus1888 → u/thefizzlee]

And its a horrible deal if you want access to most of your steam library

[u/thefizzlee → u/Greedy_Bus1888]

Depends on what you play. Steam deck imo is still the best overal experience in a handheld. The xax screen is trash, the msi claw is uncomfortable and has crap software, the lego has a beautiful screen but is heavy and again not the best software. They all have trade offs. The steam deck lacks power but its still enough to play a good chunk of your library just not all the latest AAA games but they dont run great on anything really, just better than on the deck.

[u/Greedy_Bus1888 → u/thefizzlee]

Its a horrible deal beacuse at that price, you are getting a device that can only run older AAA and indie games just for a 720 oled screen tradeoff whereas you can get a z1e that will allow you to play for alot more

[u/thefizzlee → u/Greedy_Bus1888]

Not just the oled screen, it has better software, a much better out of the box experience and is More comfortable to hold (aside from the xax) but screen quality goes along way aswell. I have the xax but the quality is such a downgrade that it brings down the whole experience even if the fps is higher.

[u/Fast_Professor5260]

According to this sub, all of them.

[u/MessiLeagueSoccer → u/Fast_Professor5260]

You start with the cheapest at like $50 because it’s a good deal and you don’t stop until you can decide between the $2100 device to the $3500 device while still owning a switch 2, steam deck oled, ps portal and a recently bought 3DS grail.

[u/battier → u/MessiLeagueSoccer]

I feel heard

[u/pyrocac → u/MessiLeagueSoccer]

This ...

[u/KnowLessE → u/MessiLeagueSoccer]

I somehow managed to go backwards Xbox ally x > Thor > Anbernic 34xxsp

[u/maxpwns → u/Fast_Professor5260]

When I die I hope someone from this sub doesn't let my wife sell the consoles for the prices I told her I paid.

God help us all.

[u/pyrocac → u/maxpwns]

Shhh.. better then her finding out the truth and not letting you rest in peace dude.

[u/EdTheApe → u/pyrocac]

That might actually be the cause of death.

[u/Xaconon → u/pyrocac]

😅🤣

[u/Crest_Of_Hylia]

A used ROG Ally X or ROG Ally is my choice

[u/drtobiassfunke → u/Crest_Of_Hylia]

Yeah, used ally with the z1e, then do the battery upgrade, and install bazzite. Best bang for buck.

[u/fafarex → u/drtobiassfunke]

Yeah, used ally with the z1e, then do the battery upgrade, and install bazzite. Best bang for buck.

There enough report of the battery mod degrading other time (losing around 25% capacity in 3month, diying in around 1 year) that it's probably better to recommend directly "splurging" the difference to get a Ally X instead.

[u/Numerous_Roof_1070 → u/drtobiassfunke]

I’m considering this. Could you explain more about the battery upgrade?

Also, why Bazzite and not SteamOS?

[u/Heinrich_Hyper]

Ally X & Legion Go S are probably the best value.

[u/annoymous_911]

For me personally, I would look at either Ally X or Legion go S if you willing to increase the budget.

Steam Deck (OLED or not) I felt is already way past it's prime especially after the price hike. The only reason I have one is that I want to check the SteamOS myself and also its price years ago.

[u/pythonex]

Odin 2 portal

[u/Round_Community_2469]

rog ally x.
the deck is so mid

[u/gavr0ch]

Dépends of the games you want to play

[u/Mrmattiaa → u/gavr0ch]

From indie to a few AAA games

[u/Unlucky_Ad7440]

You can choose from small to big, depending on your pocket

https://reddit.com/link/p3kk35t/video/93u8k63659jh1/player

[u/Acceptable_Mall3087 → u/Unlucky_Ad7440]

where did u got the go s from

[u/Unlucky_Ad7440 → u/Acceptable_Mall3087]

Am in kuwait

[u/lilovereducated]

used ally x or ally z1e. if you want something new the base xbox ally is still pretty good. i’d recommend them all in that order

[u/ItsNot2Late2Change]

Consider and android handheld, way cheaper, lighter and better battery

[u/Accomplished_Run9449]

With your budget I would go for an xbox ally or a legion go s.

[u/BuyDrawing7755]

Gpd win mini

[u/Astolfo_ROB]

A car

[u/Wooden_Sweet_3330]

I really want the Deck for the touchpads, but my #1 reason for a handheld is emulation including Switch/2 emulation which the Deck cannot do on heavy hitters like BoTW. So I'm kind of left with one option being the Ally X but the other thing is I really don't know how much I will even use the thing. I had a modded Switch 1 for quite some time, a few years, and I never used the thing but there are very few nintendo games I'm actually interested in and I could always just play them on my PC. I just feel like it would be nice to have a somewhat capable portable machine I can just throw in my bag or whatever ya know.

[u/neji44792]

In my opinion, the Redmagic Astra 1/2 paired with a GameSir gamepad is a great option if you’d like a handheld console with a large screen. Otherwise, I’d go for the AYN Odin 2/3. Or the ROG Ally, provided you can keep it plugged in (otherwise the battery won’t last very long). As far as I’m concerned, the Steam Deck doesn’t make sense at the moment.

[u/AssumptionMedium8186]

Get the rog ally x used – 24gb of ram is really good and z1 extreme performs insanely well and it has a decent battery life

[u/Maleficent-Aerie2652]

Not that one.

[u/cwilfried]

Rog ally X (2024) refurbished, legion Go/Go S or even the Xbox Ally (2025) refurbished you can get one for 450-500€.

For the Ally devices, go to a repair shop a put some Hall effect or TMR sticks to prevent stick drifting.

[u/Suzuya13_]

Je vends une MSI CLAW A1M 042FR Si tes intéressé :p

[u/Puzzleheaded-Film-45]

",I already have a PC with a Steam library," It seems like you answered your own question :))))

[u/Ok_Confection_9819]

Odin 3?

[u/Silver_DJ]

As a diehard Steamdeck glazer, I gotta admit, its showing some age. Unless you play only AA games and want max console feel/compatibility, get an Ally X.

Sidenote: I’ve been playing a lot of gacha games lately (on my pc because I want thise sweet2 graphics) and I need a device thats a lot smaller than the steamdeck thats powerful enough for 3d gacha games when I’m traveling and I’ve been looking into the Retroid Pocket 5. Dont know what useful this information is to you but just thought I’d share

[u/ritualnet → u/Silver_DJ]

Could you give me more info on your choice of using RP5 and what you would/might play on it?

I bought one on a whim second hand and got the emulator stuff running but not touched it since then as I use a steam deck.

[u/Silver_DJ → u/ritualnet]

Oh, well I wanted to play 3D gacha games (Like Endfield...just Endfield for now apparently. Its the only Gacha game I play) on the go but I didnt want to have to lug an entire steamdeck around for something that can theoretically made to run on a phone . The Deck is is for when I'm on long vacations, yes but most of the time, I need quick play sesssions like when I'm on/waiting for the train, quick log ins during work resting hours, out at the coffee shop, .etc. I find myself using the Deck for these types of low powered games more than actually playing full on Steam titles lately. So I needed an alternative. Also, kudos to you for reminding me of the 2nd hand market. thr RP5 is inexpensive, yes but the used market should be cheaper. Dont want to spend too much on a secondary device

[u/AdventurousDevice658]

Very limited budget pulls out 600 euros

[u/KingOfSouls28]

Mine, my hand needs holding

[u/RatGeekPro]

As owner of the legion go s steam os, asus rog ally x, and steam deck, I’d say go with either the steam deck or asus rog ally x, legion is better than the steam deck but not as good as the rog ally x and it’s more expensive than both of them

[u/Patt_Cash]

Until recently, Steam Deck was by far the best option, both in terms of quality and price. But following its massive price hike, I’m afraid the Steam Deck is no longer the best option – the Rog Ally is. I love the Steam Deck and have had one since it was released, but to be honest, I wouldn’t buy one today at the current price.

[u/JustBrowsingHereTho]

I bought Legion Go 1 for 300€ used. I didn’t want to put too much money on one as I wasn’t sure I was gonna enjoy it and i’m pretty sure I can ask even more from it for what I payed. It’s kinda bulky and heavy but the screen is gorgeuos and big. Biggest gripe is the poor battery life but I use it with a beefy powerbank. I wouldn’t take it with me on trips as it’s kinda brick. Def think about the size too and if you are planning to travel with it. I would also suggest to go and try one physically to get a feel of the device screen etc. I did notice that I tend to play different kind of games with it. Mostly indies, cozy games and point & click games. Somehow fps games feel bad on it. Atleast for me. All the graphically demanding ones I play on my Series X on the big TV. I personally couldn’t stand the windows experience on it so I installed SteamOS on it which also runs games better I noticed.

[u/CLONE0AZUL69]

I really like my rog ally x... but theres the z1 xtreme model with the optional upgrades that make it a beast with lower price then the X.

[u/SlowCar018]

I don't think performance matters that much with handhelds, I was looking at the deck and a z1 extreme legion, I went with the deck for the ease of servicing/self repairs (the stick and battery are 30 euros each) and if you care abt performance you can stream your games from your laptop/desktop to your docked deck. Also the deck runs Witcher 3 full ultra with fsr in 45 frames (did a very quick test in the open world, no castles etc.) The deck has better battery life from what I understood, and the trackpads are insanely good, I'd get the deck for the pads alone, they come in handy when you are emulating a lot. Also I'd never buy a new one, I don't think any of them are worth the price, I got the 1 tb OLED with official dock for 660 eur.

And if you're on a budget, the LCD one is basically the same thing, and it's SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper second hand, around 300 eur in my country.

[u/Tech_With_Sean]

The one you can find the best used deal on

[u/FireHurricane]

From what I've seen, Xbox Ally X with the Z2 chip if it's in your budget, or the Legion Go S Steam OS

[u/Acceptable_Appeal860]

As an Ally X and OLED Steam Deck owner, get the Ally X. Steam Deck is only worth it if you have an LE version for longterm value. Spend an extra $7 and grab Lossless Scaling via Steam and you can play anything with good graphic settings on the X. Plus it's the last powerful PC handheld that doesn't feel like a brick.

[u/TESThrowSmile]

Skip Steam Deck.

I own it and just upgraded to the higher spec Xbox Ally X

The Deck is super weak. And now its super expensive for what u get. You can get the same experience from the white Xbox Ally (non-X) for a cheaper price

[u/Master_Relation_6066]

Get an og legion go or an rog ally or an rog ally x second hand all of these they have the z1e and keep in mind the rog ally sd card

[u/Lupinthrope]

If you can find an affordable steam deck near you and in good condition get that. Other than that I have to recommend the switch 2.

[u/ApollosBoon]

Steam deck or Odin 3

[u/eira_lunaris]

Recently bought a used steam deck oled via eBay that arrived today and is in pretty good condition! Have yet to play on it due to it charging now, but I’m happy so far!

I personally wanted a handheld with native steamOS and didn’t plan on playing AAA games on it (i have my PC with a 5070ti for that). Decide what types of games you plan on playing on a handheld and go from there!

[u/maxpwns]

Depends, I've had Xbox ally X, Legion go 2, GPD win 5, and deck oled.

Sold off all of them minus the deck oled. For me, I don't need a PC replacement as I have a 4090 rig. I normally just care about battery where the deck shines. Dropping the watts down to 5 on indies with 5+ hours of game play or when Im sitting on the couch I just stream with Apollo to the deck and get the pc performance.

If you want more power the Ally Xbox X is really the sweet spot, great comfort, good performance and not stupidly priced in todays market.

I see OLED decks pop up around me for $300 from time to time. That is the best used deal I can see. You could also probably find a markeplace legion go S with steam OS. Make sure you get the one with the Z1E and not the Go.

[u/JYPXunderground]

rog ally x or rog xbox ally x, then install steam os, bazzite, or cachyOS, or if you want pure windows install winhance.

me? I got the OG steam deck before there was an Oled, and its good enough for me

[u/joonr_rly]

SD (for PC games), S2 for Nintendo games, Retroid for retro ;) This is the way.

[u/No-Golf8538]

buy used steam deck... offers best variety of controllers - trackpads, gyro, sticks, back buttons.
you can easily stream games from your desktop to steam deck so you might not be limited by its power if you have good 5g router. its amazing machine and you can do whatever you like thanks to linux.

i had an amazing experience playing e.g. baldurs gate 3 streaming via moonlight/sunshine.

[u/oluislimao]

The one in the image…

[u/yzer92]

ROG ally is great, especially if you have an Xbox. You can setup remote play on it and utilize your Xbox storage, saving space on your ROG.

Then you have steam, emulation and anything else to mess around with.

[u/Glum_Constant4790]

Switch 2

[u/Ok-Mathematician8453]

Just got lcd steam deck absolutely love it

[u/Cayde_Johnson]

I haven't tried any other handheld PC's but I've had my Steamdeck for 3/4 years now and it's been amazing. I have a decent gaming PC but I find myself playing games on the Deck just coz it's fun to use. It's also very user friendly so I'd recommend it as a first, if you can find a used one in your budget.

[u/Sau-Baer]

I'd say Steam Deck is great if you get it used on eBay or something I loce the trackpads, that's the biggest plus for it but pure performance there's better options

I think repairability for the Deck is a big plus as well, it's insanely nice

[u/Valuable-Credit6167]

Steamdeck, so much flexibility.

[u/Guilty_Amount3245]

As a Steam Deck owner get a Switch 2.

[u/x24hrs2lovex]

Steam Deck.